Player: OL Dyan Cook
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: Dylan Cook made his first NFL start Monday night as the Steelers’ fourth-string left tackle, but he didn’t play like it—in either sense. He didn’t play like he was making his first start, nor did he play like a fourth-stringer. Cook has been in the Steelers’ system for a few years now, and he played with that level of experience. Don’t be surprised if he moves up the depth chart, remaining the starter unless Broderick Jones returns.
We don’t know if the Steelers expect Broderick Jones to return this season, but Dylan Cook may have lessened the concern. They obviously want Jones back as soon as he is healthy, but Cook stepped up last night. In his first career start—and second appearance—he handled his business.
After their 28-15 win over the Dolphins, HC Mike Tomlin noted that the Steelers tried to help Cook out but also threw praise his way. And the tape, upon initial inspection, appears to bear that out. Aaron Rodgers didn’t face much pressure, though he took sacks when he did. None of that pressure came through Cook, who handled his assignments.
A former college free agent, Dylan Cook first signed with the Steelers in 2023. He impressed enough to make the 53-man roster, spending that season as a healthy scratch, the ninth lineman. An injury resulted in him starting last season on IR, but by then, the Steelers had made other arrangements. When healthy, they activated and then promptly released him, re-signing him to their practice squad.
Cook has spent most of his career since then on the practice squad. But with Broderick Jones, Calvin Anderson, and Andrus Peat all injured, they gave him the call. Jones must be on IR for at least one more game, and Anderson will be there even longer. Peat missed the Dolphins game due to a concussion after starting the week before.
But with the way Dylan Cook played, will the Steelers continue to start him over Peat? Peat wasn’t even the Steelers’ swing tackle—it was Anderson—so it’s not like he has some deep-rooted seniority.
With regular season underway and the roster in place, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract. Oh, and they also traded some guy named George Pickens, which people found significant.
After a long offseason, we finally know what this Steelers team will look like for the 2025 season. The dust is long settled on both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, and now we’re into the real thing. What final moves might the team make, if any? They’ve certainly made a flurry of moves, though some question whether they make much difference. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
